Corporate Social Responsibility: Google and Xerox - Essay Example

The aim of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is to promote an organizational accountability to various stakeholders besides benefiting its investors and shareholders (Flammer 2013). The community and the corporate organization benefit in different ways and it is important for companies to ensure that they take care of the welfare of its workers and the community. Several corporations may not isolate themselves from the general society they operate in thus, they need to engage in various development projects, which benefit many people. If the companies do not engage in CSR activities, they may face challenges related to survival profitability, and competition and may be forced to close down (Iisd org 2016). If a company has to be efficient and compete successfully with the other companies, it is important to have considerations to other factors, which may have a great impact on its progress. A company should have a positive influence on the immediate community and not just aim at making profit or investing in more ventures. There is a need to investigate the effectiveness of a company’s branding and the attitude of communities to avoid possible conflicts. The consumers may like engaging with a corporation, which is much involved in programs that ensure value addition to the community and other parties’ such as the government (Popa & Salanta, 2014). This improves the image of the business to the consumers because the active promotion of the corporate social responsibility attracts several customers that make use of their product. One way corporations engage in corporate social responsibility is ensuring that its workers’ health issues are catered for and ensuring that the community enjoys such services as well. These may include improving the working conditions for the employees, organizing medical camps for its workers and the community, supporting surrounding health facilities, funding medical projects, and ensuring environmental protection for a healthy working environment among others.

One major importance of an organization engaging in CRS activities pertaining workers' and community's health is the positive coverage by the media, benefits the company a lot by having an impact on its bottom line. The corporate social responsibility caring attitude of the business is reflected by some positive benefits it has on the workers and the immediate community resulting to more media coverage. This enables the corporation to receive more support from customers, the government, and other societies among others (Brusendorff 2014). Furthermore, more customers prefer buying from a company that assist its employees and contributes to the welfare of the people. Corporate partnerships that bring many benefits to the local community is also very beneficial for a successful corporation. The organization can improve its image to the public hence winning the consumers' trust besides bringing extra awareness to the nonprofit it causes. The companies also benefit from employee volunteer grant programs since its workers have a positive attitude and want to serve their organization fully. In this case, the corporate giving programs are beneficial to the parties involved in the process. The team improves its, which helps it to build its image as well as create a positive image to its clients. It is of much importance for a corporation to publicize its efforts through the media since it enhances the promotion of its social responsibility activities by other companies. Furthermore, the positive government relationship that it becomes an added advantage for corporations that put emphasizes on corporate social responsibility (Orlitzky, Siegel & Waldman, 2011). This can help them to have positive experiences when dealing with government regulators and politicians who may have a positive or adverse impact on its activities depending on their trading activities. Corporations that take social responsibility are not likely to encounter inquiries and probes that are against its operations especially by the government and other actors such as insurance companies if they follow health measures for their employees. Healthy employees are more productive since they tend to perform their duties as a team, which brings unity in the workplace. The company portrays its CSR activities through; donating financial resources to environmental causes, use of sustainable materials in their products, giving employees paid time off for their voluntary in environmental charities, paying for their insurance covers, and following up on their treatment and health status among others (Mirela and Irina 2014). For instance, Google Company has benefited the community and itself for engaging in health activities for its employees and the society. The company has tried to ensure good citizenship, which helps in creating healthy environments for its workers. Every single effort in its CSR activities towards healthy working conditions for its workers has paid off since it has remained one of the world's largest corporations. One of its CSR activities is the Google Green project to use resources efficiently and support use of renewable power (Moreno 2015). This is done through recycling and reducing power usage by turning off lights to lower its operational costs. The amount saved is channeled to the employee welfare, health promotion, and community development. The community benefits by living in an environment free of pollutants due to minimal use of fossil fuels and the company benefits by having a positive image, more customers, motivated workers, healthy working employees, and good relations with the law.

One function of CSR is an improvement of management of the environment to make sure that there is a better planet besides creating business value to its workers, customers, investors, and other stakeholders. Companies engage in ensuring a clean working environment for its employees and greenhouse gas emissions from their everyday operations to ensure sustainability (Epstein & Buhovac 2014). Some of the activities involved include installing of solar voltaic panels to reduce environmental pollution inside the corporation premises and outside. The companies may also engage in energy management by reducing their workers’ energy consumption in their houses using efficient machines in commercial and residential buildings. Helping their employees to acquire such gadgets at a cost that each can afford is of great benefit to the workers. In turn, their employees feel appreciated, cared for, and important in the organization. Positive attitude in employees improves their psychological health and help them increase their productivity. Other means of reducing energy usage is teleworking and cloud computing that ensures that non-renewable sources are not quickly depleted in the company’s offices. Workers may feel comfortable and happy if a company allows them to work from their convenient places such as homes instead of going to the office, signing attendance registers, and paying for commuting or fuel costs. In addition to reducing environmental pollution, teleworking is of health benefits to an employee by reducing psychological health issues such as stress caused by the daily struggles in getting to the office. The use of environmentally friendly business practices can reduce risks associated with day-to-day operations and increase the reputation of firms. According to Garriga and Melé (2013) corporations, which are socially responsible, should never import items that are produced illegally or harm the health of the workers. For instance, buying substandard machines at a lower price and giving it to the employees to operate is risking their life. The companies should be more discerning when choosing their suppliers to prevent buying illegal goods produced from activities that ruin the environment. Business organizations are nowadays sponsoring environmental programs such as tree planting and education on a matter relating to environmental issues. Such activities are sometimes done by workers helping them to have some experience away from the tiring office or industrial activities. Pollution is a concern to several companies and the disposal of the wastes quite important to ensure that degradation of land is minimized for the benefit of everyone. If the environment is polluted and not conducive for workers, they may become sick too often to work and improve the company performance. Reliable employees are a great asset to an organization and ensuring that their health status is good is quite remarkable. For instance, Xerox Company is a huge corporation involved in printing and has several programs that require donations and supporting the employees and the community as Moreno (2015) argues. The company has a community involvement program that directly involves the employees, and many of them have participated. The company spends millions to facilitate its employees to take part in the program that serves the community. The company enjoys the support it receives from its employees that offer full commitment to their employer. This has the effect of improving the well-being of the workers who in turn work to increase the profitability of the corporation. Xerox employees are considered among the happiest in the corporate world for their involvement and commitment in many activities. By setting up some time of billable hours per year for volunteer activities, the corporation enjoys dual impacts of assisting the community and increasing its employee morale and productivity.

CSR means acting in a responsible way and participating in activities that improve the welfare of the employees and the community. Customers will love dealing with responsible suppliers and corporations thus both parties’ benefits a lot. CSR activities include reducing misuse of resources, emissions, and waste that help in saving the environment and funds, which benefits the business, its workers, and the customers. Business cuts on utility bills and the costs of disposing of wastes if it engages in recycling activities. A corporation that participates in CSR activities, which involves the environment, employee welfare, community building, and compliance with regulations earns a good reputation making it easier to retain staff and increase profitability. Reputation is important, and no one will like to be associated with an organization that degrades the environment and mistreats its workers posing danger to the community, workers, and its public image. CRS benefits both the community and the company in various ways and should be adopted and executed positively.